Caleb:
I hope all is well with you. Spring is slowing coming to Northern Utah. This is the hardest time of year for me because the weather is so nice outside and I have to stay inside and get the work done. Not a problem though, I just don't think about it and it ends up being "no big deal".
I really enjoyed your PPI last week. I'm very impressed with the progress you are making in your life and the fact that you are taking your mission seriously. I'm impressed that you are getting along with our companion. Getting along with people is a great trait and one that will serve you well throughout your life. Great job.
A couple of things that I'd encourage you to consider:
1) Focus on the positive, especially with people (sisters) and things (your area) that don't flow your way naturally. Change the way you think and change your life. Remember that people generally try to meet expectations and will respond more positive to you if you see the good in them.
Example - One of the new partners in our firm is always ragging on the staff when we are in partner meetings. It seems none of the staff can meet his expectations. There are two points I make, first, when he was a staff, he did the same things that he now complains that the staff do. It's the most unbelievable dynamic - I would say that he hates the same things in others that he hates in himself. Second, it is almost impossible to hide from others from your feelings of disdain for them. The staff know how he feels about them and none of them want to work for him. They procrastinate his work for the work of other partners who they enjoy working with.
I call it the death spiral. He thinks negative thoughts, he voices those thoughts, staff perceive his thoughts and they respond accordingly. And so it goes; and so it will be until HE changes his attitude. If he doesn't change he'll be relegated and marginalized as a partner. It's pretty sad to see because he is otherwise a brilliant dude.
2) I think you and I are similar in the way that we study. I don't possess the attitude to sit for long periods of time and focus on "stuff". Instead, I'll "nibble" at my projects. This is habit as much as anything but I've lived my life with this habit. College was easy for me and as a result I really didn't study very much. Instead, "studied" when I had to and really didn't focus the rest of the time.
So, I'm 47 years old and still face these challenges... I hold myself responsible. I've allowed habits to form and they've persisted with me my entire life. Here I am every day faced with mountains of work in tax season; work that requires focus and energy. That said, I've looked at myself and said, "Paul, this is who you have allowed yourself to become, how can you make lemonade out of this lemon?"
There are some keys that work for me. First, I approach a review project as if I'm the client looking at the return. It's amazing how many things I catch because of this. I am confident that I'm as good of a reviewer as anyone in the firm. Second, I do mental sprints because I'm not good at mental marathons. I pick-up, focus and then take a walk and do it all over again. That's my day. Third, I believe that I am as smart as anyone who will look at the project. I know there are better tax technicians (those that can do a mental marathons reading tax law) but I really don't think there are many better at seeing the big picture and tying it all together. In other words, I believe I'm smart and that belief has carried me through many a tough day. Finally, I've found that I can focus pretty well at night from the hours of 7-10pm (it's weird but it seems to work).
Zebra's don't change their stripes. You will not come back from your mission magically a better student. I think you are secretly haunted by that fact. What you can do is figure out what works for you and then implement that into your studies. You will always be tempted to look at others and notice the things that you don't like. This is human nature. Through concerted effort you will be able to see the positive and project positive thoughts onto people knowing that they will respond in kind.
You're a great young man. You have so much going for you. Stay positive and be confident in yourself. I love you,
Dad
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